Jeremiah Wright is the gift that keeps on giving. At least in terms of helping the cause of the Republican candidate, John McCain.
The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Wright is scheduled to be on Bill Moyers’ tomorrow, and then Monday he will speak to the National Press Club. I doubt the man will be able to do anything to help Obama’s cause in those two appearances. Almost certainly, he will further demonstrate exactly why Obama’s association with him is a major negative in this campaign. Here’s the story:

Wright offering fresh fodder to Obama critics
By Lynn Sweet
WASHINGTON–The controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright — Sen. Barack Obama’s pastor — is speaking Monday at the National Press Club as part of a divinity conference of black church leaders. Wright’s decision to headline an event at the Press Club — open to all media — risks giving Obama’s critics more fodder, as if they don’t have enough already.

Meanwhile, PBS is touting an interview with Wright to be broadcast Friday on “Bill Moyers’ Journal.” Fresh material from Wright — no matter how well-intended — is not what Obama needs.

Wright’s Press Club talk is supposed to be about offering perspective on black churches — theology, history and politics, and the torrent of coverage stemming from Obama’s presidential bid.

Wright’s relationship with Obama triggered an uproar when video of Wright’s inflammatory sermons surfaced. Faced with a crisis, Obama delivered a highly regarded speech in March about race and why he would not “disown” Wright, the senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago’s South Side.

But the speech, good as it was, did not push Wright out of the picture.

Wright looms as a serious problem for Obama in his fight to be the Democratic presidential nominee over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and, if he wins, as a general election candidate against Sen. John McCain. Look no further than an ad the North Carolina Republican Party released Wednesday featuring a clip from Wright’s “God Damn America” sermon and calling Obama an “extremist.”

Fox News has been all over Wright — helicopter shots of his Tinley Park mansion under construction — and host Bill O’Reilly has been pounding Obama over Wright regularly on his show.

The backfire potential of Wright having any sort of a public profile at this point seems obvious.

I asked the church about the prospects of Wright further wounding Obama’s candidacy, and I was e-mailed material about the divinity conference.

When the uproar over Wright started, Obama chief strategist David Axelrod asked his friends at Jasculca Terman — a public affairs firm — to advise Trinity on how to handle the crush of media coverage, and they did, pro bono. Jim Terman, the president of the firm, said, “We were not asked to provide our advice about the reported speech of Rev. Wright in Washington” and did not know about it until it was scheduled.

McCain denounced the North Carolina GOP party ad. “It’s not the message of my campaign,” he said. He wrote a letter to the state party chairman imploring them to pull the spot. The ad “degrades our civics,” McCain said. The Republican National Committee also told the North Carolina party the ad was not “appropriate or helpful.”

Obama, in Indiana, said he assumes if McCain “thinks that it’s an inappropriate ad, that he can get them to pull it down since he’s their nominee and standard bearer.” The spot as I write this has not been pulled.

O’Reilly, chatting with Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. on his show Wednesday night, said he was “flabbergasted” that Wright just does not “take a vacation.” When O’Reilly is right, he’s right.

I love poetry – especially children’s poetry.Â I work each day with children who are struggling readers, and one thing I provide for each child is a poetry folder.Â The poetry folder is filled with lots of poems that we’ve learned and read together.Â Poetry is great for children who are having trouble learning to read.Â I’ve done a post on my favorite thirteen children’s poems – absolutely wonderful poems for children.

April in National Poetry Month, and Thursday, April 17th is “Poem in Your Pocket” Day.Â The holiday originated in New York, and this is the first year that it has been a national event.Â Hopefully the emphasis on poetry during April will bring together writers, poets, schools, libraries and poetry lovers everywhere.Â

The holiday got its name from one of my favorite children’s poems, “Keep A Poem In Your Pocket” by Beatrice Schenck de Regniers.Â

Keep a Poem In Your Pocket
~Beatrice Schenk de Regniers~

Keep a poem in your pocket
and a picture in your head
and you’ll never feel lonely
at night when you’re in bed.
The little poem will sing to you
the little picture bring to you
a dozen dreams to dance to yoU
at night when you’re in bed.
So—
Keep a picture in your pocket
and poem in your head
and you’ll never feel lonely
at night when you’re in bed.

Right Wing Sparkle has a post titled “America is in ruins,” and it is the topic is something we need to keep writing and talking about. With so much negative press about everything American, it’s time for us to say, “No, America is a WONDERFUL country. Of course it’s not perfect, but we work harder than anybody else in the world to make sure that we right our wrongs, that our people are treated well, that everyone has equal opportunities to build a successful life here.”

Here’s part of Right Wing Sparkle’s post. Click here to read the entire thing.

Even if Obama becomes president, our country is in such ruin it may be beyond his power to lead us to rehabilitation.

In such ruin? Really? . . .

The United States offers people such opportunity and such kindness. We require that a person be treated at a hospital whether they can pay or not. We offer free food, shelter, and education for anyone who needs it. Beyond what the government offers in food stamps, welfare, and job training, we have hundreds of thousands of ministries in Churches and charities that offer shelter, clothing, food, and educational, and job opportunities.

And yet…Walker sees this country in “ruin.” What is in ruin is Walker’s own view.

When she was young working for civil rights in the South, she had bottles thrown at her. Blacks were beaten and killed. Voting was a dream. Yet now, we have a black woman as Secretary of State, Black Supreme Court judges, and now a presumptive black running for President on the Democratic ticket. To have come so far in such a short time is stunning really. And it makes it clear that we are a people who make mistakes, but we keep trying to make it right.

The United States keeps trying to make it right.

Does it bother anyone else that this common thread weaves it’s way into Obama’s life? From his Pastor who sees the United States as controlled by white supremacy to Obama’s wife, who has never been proud of the United States in her adult life until now.

All the generosity of America, from helping victims of Tsunami’s across the world, to Katrina, to bringing down a brutal dictator who mass murdered his own people, to billions of dollars of aid to Africa for AIDS research and help. All these things don’t make Michelle Obama proud. Do they make Obama proud? It would be nice to know the truth.

These are just a few of the hundreds of things America does to help the world every day.

This is an amazing country of freedom and generosity. Everyone close to Obama doesn’t see it that way though, and I don’t believe Obama sees it that way either.

Exactly how do liberals/progressives go about discussion of of stories that do not bode well for them? (cross posted at Right Wing News)

1. Ignore the story – pretend it is not happening, or deflect like crazy.

2. Find some sort of moral equivalence or a story from 30 years ago saying a Conservative did something sort of similar.

3. Come up with some conspiracy theories. This is usually the most amusing part, reading and hearing all the strange stuff they come up with in their reality based chat rooms.

4. Blame Conservatives for bringing the truth to light. How dare they do dat!!!!

5. Concoct strange defenses based on wild psychological discourse, which no one understands, including the writer, but it sounds good, and allows a liberal/progressive to say there is no problem.

6. Whine about the discussion of the topic, proclaiming that it means nothing, and why aren’t we talking about X? This is usually the point where Liberals/progressives truly understand how bad the issue really is for them, typically when even the NY Times cannot ignore it, so, now they want to have an in-depth discussion on the point of the Iraq War, which you have had 1,000 times, but, they strangely have never had.

Alternately, this is the point where some liberals realize that they did not receive their talking points emails, so haven’t a friggin’ clue how to respond.

7. Declare victory! Those dastardly Conservatives have been proven wrong again, and why do you keep asking so many questions?

8. Ignore the issue. It never happened. This is similar to the 10 Stages Of Success. See below the fold.

Many may wonder why the irrational seething, virulent vitriol and disgusting language, personal attacks, and abject hatred has not been mentioned. Well, this of course is the natural state of the modern liberal/progressive, and can not only occur at any time, but will occur throughout any discussion. It is a pervasive state of nature for those on the Left.
SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 16 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 20 success is . . . having sex.
At age 35 success is . . . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 60 success is . . . having sex.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.

I was just listening to CNN, and they were showing Obama speaking today. In his speech, referring to the Jeremiah Wright issue, he said, “I hope we don’t get distracted by that.” That just cracked me up. I’ll just bet he hopes – and earnestly prays – that people will not get distracted by Wright’s racist spewings.

Uh, let’s see. He’s still talking about Rev. Wright because it is a major issue, and he’s trying to convince people that it’s a non-issue. It isn’t. I sure hope that all the Obama-nuts DO get distracted from Obama’s smooth talking by this issue. It’s an issue that indicates a lack of character on Obama’s part – a lack of tolerance – a lack of capacity for being objective and fair in relating to ALL United States citizens.

I was interested to read about John McCain’s experiences as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Back in the late sixties and early seventies while I was blissfully living my own life of going to college, meeting RT and beginning our life together, John McCain was living the life of a prisoner of war. In thinking about who I would want for our next president, the choice is clear. Who better to make wise decisions for our country than someone who has experienced first hand the brutality of war – someone who knows intimately the depths of depravity to which people can stoop – but someone who also knows the importance of honor, patriotism, courage and the very true sense of freedom.

In reading about him, I learned why his hair is so white. I learned that when he was faced with hard decisions, he sided with integrity and honor.

Of course being a POW doesn’t qualify a person to be president. However, it DOES mean that McCain has had unique experiences that enable him to see beyond the particularly sheltered life of the average American. When I see all the Democratic sheeple chanting for “change” and chanting “Yes we can!” (yes, we can WHAT?) I’m appalled at the lack of depth and thought in their politics. A smooth talker and promises of handouts have them enthralled. They have this warped sense of entitlement that has no consideration for the cost of all the things they feel they’re entitled to. Billary and the Obamanation are so deep into their own world of liberal delusions that it is scary to think what a presidency by either of them would do to the foundation of our country. Sure, we would survive a presidency by either of them, but we would come out of it decidedly more socialist – the exact opposite of the intent of our founding fathers.

While the worst experiences of Clinton’s or Obama’s lives are likely related to anxiety over a spouse’s lack of fidelity (in Clinton’s case) or having to defend oneself aginst charges of inexperience (in Obama’s case) or lack of sleep as a result of having to fight each other for the Democratic nomination (in both their cases), McCain has dealt with some REAL worst case scenarios in his lifetime.

John McCain’s capture and imprisonment began on October 26, 1967 . . . when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a Soviet-made SA-2 anti-aircraft missle over Hanoi. McCain fractured both arms and a leg, and then nearly drowned when he parachuted into Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi. After he regained consciousness, a mob gathered around, spat on him, kicked him, and stripped him of his clothes. Others crushed his shoulder with the butt of a rifle and bayoneted him in his left foot and abdominal area; he was then transported to Hanoi’s main Hoa Loa Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American POWs.

Although McCain was badly wounded, his captors refused to give him medical care unless he gave them military information, beating and interrogating him. Only when the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a top admiral did they give him medical care and announce his capture. His status as a POW made the front pages of The New York Times and The Washington Post.

McCain spent six weeks in the Hoa Loa hospital, receiving marginal care. Now having lost 50 pounds, in a chest cast, and with his hair turned white, McCain was sent to a different camp on the outskirts of Hanoi in December 1967, into a cell with two other Americans who did not expect him to live a week; they nursed McCain and kept him alive. In March 1968, McCain was put into solitary confinement, where he would remain for two years. . .

In August of 1968, a program of severe torture methods began on McCain, using rope bindings into painful positions, and beatings every two hours, at the same time as he was suffering from dysentery. . .

Hi injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head. He subsequently received two or three beatings per week because of his continued refusal to sign additional statements. . . .

McCain refused to meet with various anti-war peace groups coming to Hanoi, not wanting to give either them or the North Vietnamese a propaganda victory based on his connection to his father. From late 1969 on, treatment of McCain and some of the other POWs became more tolerable after disclosures to the world press of the conditions to which they were being subjected. . .

Altogether, McCain was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years . . . McCain was finally released from captivity on March 15, 1973.

When that phone rings at 3 A.M., I’m hoping it’s McCain who answers it and handles whatever is going on.

If liberals weren’t so dangerous, they’d be funny. I just love that they probably truly believe that they can “deeply respect and support” the men and women of the armed forces while pulling such silly stunts as the Berkely City Council trying to run the Marine recruiters out of town. It reminds me of the old saying that “Actions speak louder than words.” And these folks are so far into their delusional la-la land that they don’t see how ridiculous they really are.

BERKELEY, Calif. (Feb. 13) – City council members who were criticized for telling Marine recruiters they don’t belong here have moderated their position, saying they oppose the Iraq war but support the troops.

The Berkeley City Council voted two weeks ago to send a letter to a downtown recruitment station advising the Marines they were not welcome.
After a marathon session that stretched into early Wednesday, the council decided against sending the letter, saying it recognizes recruiters’ right to be in Berkeley. The council members say they still strongly oppose the war and the recruitment of young people, but “deeply respect and support” the men and women of the armed forces.

Some on the council had pushed for issuing an apology. Others rejected that, saying they just wanted to clarify their position.

Councilwoman Linda Maio said the council opposes recruitment, not the military. “It’s behavior that we oppose, not the people,” she said.

The meeting drew hundreds of people on both sides of the issue who rallied outside City Hall from dawn until well into the night.

Inside the chamber, scores of speakers addressed the council, some decrying its earlier action.

“You owe our military an apology,” said Kevin Graves, a San Francisco Bay area resident who said his son died serving in Iraq.

Others applauded the council’s stand.

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the anti-war group Code Pink, said her group supports the troops – “we support them so much that we’re desperate to get them back home.”

In rallies outside, pro-troop group Move America Forward sponsored one protest, holding signs that said “Stop Bashing Our Boys.” On the other side, anti-war group Code Pink held bouquets of flowers and waved signs saying “Peace Now” and “Bring Our Troops Home.”

Police estimated the crowd at about 2,000 at its height. A handful of people were arrested for scuffles between protesters, police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said.

The recruiting office opened in Berkeley in late 2006. It operated quietly until four months ago, when Code Pink began holding regular protests.

It has been interesting watching the Democratic debate tonight. John Edwards has shown his true colors. He is running for president of the United States, and yet he keeps making extremely disrespectful and snide remarks about the current POTUS. It demonstrates his definite non-presidential personality.

Plus, he is majorly playing up to Hillary Clinton – criticizing Obama, agreeing with Hillary. Can you say “PANDER”? I guess he figures he has absolutely no chance to win the nomination, and so now he’s working on becoming Hillary’s running mate. And it may happen. While he’s talking, Hillary’s been over there nodding her head. Hillary shoots visual daggers at Barack all the time. It is really interesting.

I guess it’s politics, but it distresses me that three people who want to be president of the United States would so blatantly criticize the current President. There’s no attempt to “respectfully disagree” – it’s nothing but blatant and demeaning criticism. They’re presenting a horrible example for everyone.